


Summer (the best week of the year)

by okeydokey (LilMissNerdfighter)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur likes ice lollies, Author hates rum and rasin ice cream, Established Relationship, M/M, Magic is not a big part, Merlin sits in some weird positions, Tennis is being ignored, it's too hot, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 06:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/876444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilMissNerdfighter/pseuds/okeydokey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the hottest day of the year and Merlin has retreated inside to watch tennis. When Arthur joins him, bickering and desperate attempts to get cool ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Summer (the best week of the year)

‘This is your fault,’ Arthur declared, dropping onto the leather sofa beside Merlin. ‘It has to be. There is no way on Earth that this heat is natural.’ Merlin sighed, wincing as Arthur’s warm breath ghosted over his cheek; even the slightest imitation of heat was unbearable. The lack of breeze was astonishing and, despite their curtains desperately trying to shut out the sun and the plethora of fans adorning every available surface, the temperature of their flat had rocketed.

‘Leave me out of it- this has Morgana written all over it,’ Merlin replied, letting his head loll back against the sofa. ‘She’s been complaining about the weather for months now; it was only a matter of time.’

‘I don’t understand why she couldn’t just borrow a jet like a normal person, and go to the Caribbean or something…’ Arthur complained, listlessly watching as the men on their muted TV hit a ball back and forth across a court. He didn’t know how they were still moving; they were probably the only people still moving in the whole of Britain. Still, it’s considerate of them to provide entertainment for the rest of us, Arthur thought, stops us having to think.

‘Most people don’t just ‘borrow a jet’,’ Merlin pointed out, desperately trying to drain the last drops of coke out of his empty glass. Arthur rolled his eyes, ignoring the way his skin was beginning to stick to the sofa.

‘Well, she could’ve. And then we could all get back to complaining about the rain like usual,’ Arthur grumbled. ‘We’re in _England_ , for fucks sake. We’re not supposed to get summer!’

‘I think we had summer in May,’ Merlin agreed. ‘This is just too much. What are we even supposed to do with it? There’s only so much ice-cream one person can eat!’

‘I don’t know, _Mer_ lin. You seem to have eaten more than your fair share…’

‘Shut up- it’s delicious and you’re just sulking ‘cause Sainsbury’s ran out of Rocket lollies.’ Merlin teased, abandoning the on-going tennis match completely.

‘It’s not fair, okay? They have an unlimited supply of rum and raisin ice-cream, and yet they can’t be bothered to sell the rocket ones. It’s discrimination!’ Arthur protested, ready to insist that it was the heat causing the red hue of his skin and had nothing to do with the persecution of ice lollies.

‘Arthur, love, you are the only person over the age of four who voluntarily eats those.’ Merlin reminded him, wriggling around on the sofa, trying to get comfortable.

‘Am not- what the hell are you doing? Get your feet out of my face!’ Arthur shuffled away from Merlin, as he continued to rotate himself. ‘It’s like living with a three-year old, I swear.’

‘I hope not. You’d better not be sleeping with three year olds,’ Merlin smirked, pressing a kiss on Arthur’s cheek.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest (why would he even consider that? Even the suggestion was wrong on so many levels! He didn’t even know any three year olds!) but was cut off by an elbow to the stomach. Merlin wriggled one final time before deciding he had achieved the best position, in order to get most of the almost non-existent breeze. Now upside down with his head resting against the floor and shirt drooping to reveal most of his stomach, Merlin did his best impression of Gaius, raising his eyebrows disapprovingly. Arthur struggled to contain his fond smile; rather than being menacing, Merlin had managed to achieve an endearing, if slightly goofy, expression.

‘That can’t be comfortable.’ Arthur remarked, folding his arms and continuing to ignore the stickiness of his skin.

‘You’d be surprised!’ Merlin grinned, trying to fan himself with his hand whilst staying stable. He wobbled precariously, shifting between his hands. His grin mutated into a look of intense concentration. Arthur span so he was completely facing Merlin, knowing that he probably should help his boyfriend but not really wanting to. He could see how the balancing act was going to end. Maybe the promise of body heat lessened his desire to have Merlin in his arms a little, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let the hottest day of the year separate him from Merlin.  It was bad enough that he’d consumed every rocket lolly within a twenty mile radius; he wasn’t giving up Merlin too.

Sure enough, Merlin’s flailing became slightly more panicked as he shook. In one last desperate attempt, he dug his fingers into the leather seat and was rewarded with just enough stability to send a triumphant look in Arthur’s direction. Unfortunately, the movement it took to turn and look at Arthur caused him to wobble again and, despite clenching his fingers into tight fists, he toppled within a matter of seconds. Arthur watched as Merlin tilted towards the glass table, littered with wrappers and half-empty bottles of beer and coke, reaching out to pull Merlin towards him at the least second.

‘Can’t have you breaking our table can I, _Mer_ lin?’ Arthur teased as Merlin tumbled on top of him, a tangle of limbs, unruly hair and blue shirt. Merlin huffed out a sigh that intended to be cross but was more amused. He bit back a smile, bringing his arms up to wrap them around Arthur’s neck.

‘Course not,’ Merlin mumbled into Arthur’s collarbone. ‘It is a _lovely_ table.’

On screen, the muted crowd cheered and cried and laughed and yelled in the heat as the two men stopped smashing the ball back and forth. If either Merlin or Arthur had been paying any attention, they would’ve noticed a momentous event occurring (the subtitles screamed about victories and 77 years). They would’ve noticed their silenced phones flashing as Morgana tried to celebrate and Lance commented that he didn’t see what the big deal was. The disconnected phone, whose plug had been replaced by that of a supercharged fan, would’ve rung if they had let it.

But as it was, they were wrapped in their cocoon of slight breezes and were too busy trying to peel clothes off one another to worry about Gwen promising to bring a cake round later to their victory party. In the end, Arthur decided, it was worth the lack of rocket lollies and the unbearable heat for it to be acceptable to wander around in little or no clothes. After all, summer only lasts for a week and so you’d might as well make the most of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Eleanor (TheGameIsOn_Geronimo) for the prompt: 'the hottest day of the year'!


End file.
